30 SERVO 12.2016
up winning (okay, more like surviving) my first
match ever by TKO.
My second match was against Gruff. I was once
again easily lifted repetitively. At one point, he
ripped my wheel off the shaft. I still continued to
fight the rest of the match on three wheels ... it was
an awesome match.
Gruff won by a judge’s decision as well he
should have; he owned me most of the match. My
third match was against Matt Spurk and Old Iron.
This was a fun match. I put my axe on for this one.
My robot is geared more as a lifter so the axe swing
was not as fast as I would have liked it to be, but I
repetitively delivered blows to the top of Old Iron. I
won by a judge’s decision, giving me a 2-1 record.
Gruff and Breaker Box also had the same
record. The final tie breaker was my bot, AG-gresive
vs. Breaker Box. By sheer luck and durability, I pulled
out first place.
My robot was not the most competitive, the
fastest, or best controlled by any means, but I still
had a great time, got to meet some of the most
awesome people ever, and gained experience that
no amount of beating up Power Wheels at home
will ever give me.
A truly competitive heavyweight can cost $10k
and up, but you have to start somewhere. Don’t be
afraid to build something. SV
Close-up of the batteries and reversing solenoids.
Mounting my motors so the chains are tight.
Wiring diagram.
Where did my
wheel go?
